


Songs of Home

by ElvisVF101



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 05:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11845203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElvisVF101/pseuds/ElvisVF101
Summary: Written for the 2017 Senshi/Shitennou Reverse Mini Bang. Inspired by artwork from Storyofthedoor.The journey of the Princess of Mars through many lifetimes, told by her closest guardians and friends.





	Songs of Home

 

 

We have been chosen. Queen Selenity of the Moon Kingdom has called us to her court. It is an honor for us, for our family, our flock, indeed every flock on Coronis; something we sisters could never have dreamed of.

Our world was small, orbiting a young star, far from the central planets of the Silver Alliance. But even we had a guardian. We knew the importance of protecting the Galaxy Cauldron, that every star had a duty to help. Being twins, we understood the importance of equal burdens; the strength of a flock. Even so, there were always firsts among equals. What the eight guardians of the bright star, so far from home, and their precious princess had achieved was truly something remarkable.

By contrast, our station would be humble; handmaidens to one of the planetary princesses, a future guardian herself. Queen Selenity believed we would be a good match. We knew nothing of the Martian Princess, so we had to trust her judgment.

We said goodbye to our home, not knowing if we would see it again. We would have a new home now; a new flock, a new destiny, a new purpose. 

* * *

The Moon, as they called it, was a strange place. We were obliged to stay in our…  _ other  _ form. It was so much easier to be creatures of feathers and wings, but here, everyone was a creature of skin and words. Everything was etiquette and protocol. Curtsy, attend, answer, prepare. We had each other, which was comforting. Much like our natural state, we could share our burdens; let one eye sleep and one eye rest.

We met others. There was a pair of Mauans. They had it easier. The Queen permitted them to remain in their natural state because her daughter, the Princess, thought they were cute. It was a sentiment we shared, though never to their face. And given what a bundle of curiosity the young Moon Princess was; whatever kept Luna - the darker one - sane was important.

Our Princess was a very different charge. She was much more serious. She kept her own council for the most part; highly self-sufficient, with seemingly no need for us.

We were terrified that we would be sent back in shame for not serving her well. After all, she was not happy. Each night, she would sit by the fire for hours before rising in disgust. It was many nights before we dared ask how we might help.

“There is nothing that can be done. I must learn to feel safe here, or else I will never connect with the flame. This has to be home now.”

_ This has to be home now. _

We understood how she felt. And it meant we could help. The next night when she knelt before the fire, we came to her, one on either side, in our true form. It was easier this way. One eye open, one eye closed, the way our flock kept watch in the tall trees while those in the middle slept. Tonight, she would be our flock, and we would be her watchful eyes.

Nothing changed at first, but it felt right to be at her side. We traded every so often, new eyes keeping watch, keeping us fresh and alert. For a long time, it was just the three of us, and the fire.

But slowly, something began to change. It felt somehow that the fire was alive, and it was speaking, though not in words. There were patterns, just on the edge of our understanding; a flicker here, a spark there, subtle changes in the light and heat.

The Princess was different too. There was a brightness to her, something not of the fire. Or perhaps it was, but it was alive in her, not just the flames before her. Everything about her felt different. She was powerful. And she was at peace. And we could feel her. We could feel her calm, her serenity. We could feel fear and doubt slipping away.

We could feel at home.

* * *

As time passed, our connection grew. In front of the fire, we needed no words. We could understand each other. We could feel that, under her outward calm and pride, she was a passionate girl, filled with a deep sense of loyalty to her Princess, and trepidation about her destiny. But she had a mischievous side as well, one that delighted in teasing her Princess, though malice was never her intent. And she secretly did enjoy some of the trappings of court, despite her often outward aloofness towards them. She was a lover of their beautiful gowns and elaborate masquerade balls. In her heart, she had romance and love and loyalty.

It made her kind, and strong enough to withstand the whispers. She pretended not hear them, but they were impossible to ignore. Her visions and her powers made many at court fear her. It wounded her, deeply, though she would never show it. It drew us closer to her, because we knew the truth. There was nothing to fear from her powers. They were a gift, and one she would use only to protect those she loved.

That included us, which felt wonderful.  We still missed the tall trees of Coronis and our own bright star in the sky. But even here, far away from the songs of our flock, with a Princess who loved us, we could be at home. We could be a flock again.

* * *

Her time with the fire began to change. Where ordinarily, we shared thought and heart so easily, now we felt something different, something hidden. We pushed gently at first, but she resisted. We pulled back. It was not our place to question. But the change within her was affecting her. It made her doubt herself.

We had to do something. The flock that is  not of one purpose cannot survive. So we pushed again. She pushed back harder. It was clear; we were not to know of this matter.

We respected her wishes and remained silent, but the longer this went on, the heavier it weighed on her. So we pushed again, and we learned her secrets.

Secrets about the Princess, about Earth.

Secrets about a strange man.  

It made sense why she felt so conflicted. She had a duty. She had a heart. And they warred. It was almost like when she first arrived on the Moon. It took time then, and she had had us. She was trying to resolve this on her own. We begged her to confide in us. We would understand. We could help. We were her flock.

She would not to confide in us. We hoped she would not regret it.

* * *

When the invasion began, she was one of the first to the front. It was her way. She did not take us with her. She told us to protect those still in the palace who could not fight. She made it our duty. After all, on that day, we were all one flock.

She was still a kind princess. We wondered if her kindness would survive the heat of the battle to come.

The fires that burned all around us were nothing like the mystical fire we’d shared each night. These flames were hungry predators who would strike down anyone not fast enough or strong enough. And if the fire did not find them, the blades of the invaders would.

We would not see our old home again. We would not hear the songs of our flocks. And our new home would be lost as well.

We reached out for our princess, who would still be at the front, fighting the invaders. There were few of them left, and even fewer still of our own flock. The pain and the sorrow were overwhelming. It was impossible to know where ours ended and hers began.

Our last song would be one of sadness, for homes lost and songs silenced.

* * *

When we awake, there are others of our kind. Or so we think. They too live their lives on the wing, and sing in flocks. But there is something different about them. Or is there something different about us? We can not understand their songs. We do not recognize the stars in the sky. Something tells us this is not home. But how can we know that? We have never been anywhere else. Have we?

We see the girl. There is something about her eyes that is familiar. Most of the others who come by do not notice us. Or if they do, it is in anger.  _ She  _ notices us, brings us food, talks with us, though we can not answer her words with our own. But it does not seem that she needs them. She only needs us to be close, to listen.

She has so many sad things to say. Her mother is gone; her father too. Both cause her anger, and hurt, but in very different ways. It seems almost too much sorrow for one who does not have a flock.

That she does not understand her powers only complicates matters. She does not understand her destiny. Something about that resonates with us. Though she has no feathers and sings no songs, somehow, she is kindred to us.  

* * *

She kneels by the fire; the others like us would not dare approach but something about it draws us in. When she is there, we can feel her doubt, her fear, her sorrow. But the longer we stay, the more those things fade away into something different. There is a sort of peace and suddenly this strange place with strange stars and strange birds is home. We are a flock.

Things are fine until the children start disappearing. There has been something strange in the air. She can feel it and so can we. We are always on alert now. 

One day, we feel something truly strange. It can only be a threat to our flock. We must stop it.

It is another girl. She looks harmless enough, but there is definitely something different about her. We can not let her come too close. This is our home and we intend to protect it, except...

She is not quite what we expect. She is dangerous, but perhaps not to us; or to  _ her _ most importantly. She is powerful, even though she sounds like the other noisy birds whose songs are not like ours. Before long, the new girl and our friend are speaking. There is a sort of understanding between them. We think she may even be able to help. However noisy and clumsy she might be, there is something about her. Is she part of our flock?

* * *

This day, something truly is wrong. There are dark visions in the fire; a strange man, and a presence… There is no doubt that it is evil. The girl is drawn to the bus, and we can hear her mind screaming out in protest.

Whatever is happening, it is far more powerful than us. 

_ We can not help her.  _

Our flock has been torn apart. She is gone.

But not alone! The other girl, the noisy one, she has gone with her! Perhaps there is hope yet.

We can feel something summoning us. We are drawn to her. Down we go. Deeper, deeper, darker, and all the way, it is as though something is awakening in her. And awakening in us…

PRINCESS!

We remember! Her eyes, of course we remember them! How could we forget? And the man! We know him too. She may have tried to hide him from us in the past, but he is no stranger. He was dangerous then, and he is even more so now.

She summons us to banish evil, and we will help her do just that. There is fire within her, and we ride it to her enemy’s defeat.

When we return to our world - for this is our world now - she and the other girl speak, and there is a third with them. We remember her too. But none of them, it seems, remember us, or remember the past. Not even the Mauan who is with them. Can they not see? We wish to tell them, but our beautiful songs can not reach them, not yet. We are not powerful enough yet. Perhaps they are not powerful enough yet, either. It does not matter. We are here to serve. We will be waiting for her to remember, for all of them to remember. The truth is always closer than they imagine.

* * *

There are many trials that we must endure together. Such is the way of the flock. When she grows in power, we are able to speak to her in our other form, and present to her the tokens from the past that Queen Selenity preserved for her. She is a much more powerful guardian now, as she will need to be since the threats she faces are far worse than the ones she has defeated. More and more, she must risk her life to protect this star. It breaks our hearts that our beautiful princess must live this lonely and dangerous life.

She has her friends, the other princesses. And as a flock, they are powerful, protecting each other while also protecting this world. We could not wish for a better family for her. It’s almost enough to hide the pain of those she’s lost.

Almost.

We still feel her sorrow. It can not be hidden in the fire. But she no longer tries to hide it. She has learned to live with it, in a way. She is resolved never to let her heart be broken the way it was before. It gives her strength to endure the loneliness. We watch as lovesick fools come through the temple seeking to win her favor. Their songs are poor. They’d never sway us, let alone our princess.

It is amusing to watch them try. And though it may be scandalous to admit, we enjoy watching her spurn their advances. Those exchanges offer us glimpses of that mischievous princess we love so well. She is a little more free to be her old self again. Having a flock and a destiny suits her, it allows the risks she must take and the sacrifices she must make to be bearable.

Until Galaxia. 

We have never known the terror of such destruction and betrayal as was wrought by the Senshi from Shadow Galactica.. From the other side we see our princess fall. It is the past come full circle. We can not tell where her agony ends and ours begins. Without the guardians, even the Galaxy Cauldron is at risk. Only the Moon Princess can save us now. Will she be able to do it without those who should be at her side? Can anyone fight without their flock?

What good is it to worry? If the Cauldron is lost, then all is nothingness. There are no more songs, no more flocks, there is no more need to mourn the things that are lost. We resign ourselves to our fate.

* * *

We are alive! The Moon Princess was victorious! We should never have doubted her. The memory of her flock, and the strength it gave her, was enough to win the day. We would do well to learn from her. It is good that she will rule now.

For a thousand years, the world has slept while the Crystal has done its work, healing the hurts of this star, and of all the stars Galaxia destroyed. Though it is far away, we can hear the songs of our own world. Our flock has been made whole again, restored by the Moon Princess.

No, she is the Queen now, and rightfully so. We are honored to serve her.

But this new world, it’s not quite the same. The great Crystal Palace in the center of the city is a stark reminder of that. Yet to all appearances, it seems similar enough. Our Princess is alive and well, and she still tends to the Temple when her duties do not call her away.

The lovesick fools still come calling with their pathetic attempts at songs. She still spurns them, though since being reborn, she is not quite as harsh when she does so. Perhaps dying has tempered her mischievous side a bit.

It is a good world, and she is still a kind princess. We are still a flock. There are sure to be dangers in this new world, but we will face them together. Whatever form they may come in.

* * *

His form is the least expected of all. We are able to sense danger and evil, so we are shocked when his appearance triggers no warnings. It is as though he were a mere human, like all the other temple visitors.

But he is most certainly not. We have not forgotten the past. Nor has she.

And yet, there is something sincere in his song. Perhaps he has not either.

She spends much time by the fire now, seeking answers. It is difficult for her to temper her own hurt and anger at the memories, now stirring with her desire to see the truth. We stand with her before the fire, trying to aid her, but our own hurt and our own fear do not help. It is hard to know where hers ends and ours begins.

Ultimately, it is her noisy friend, the Queen, who is of most help.

“It’s not like it was before. Everything is different Rei-chan.”

They are simple words, but perhaps they carry more wisdom than we realize.

The fire does not give any firm answers, but then again, it never has. It’s always been a mirror of her inner self. Perhaps it's even been an extension of her heart.

When she thinks of him, she tries not to recall the raging inferno of the last battle. She tries to think of the sacred flame, of her own desires. When she does this, we can feel the change. She finally lets us in.

All the things she kept from us in the past are clear now. Beyond the hurt and the pain, we can see her enjoyment of the illicit courtship between her, the Princess of Mars, and him, the General of Earth. It was not all stolen moments and fiery flirtation. Beyond the games of Court and the hidden riddles of forbidden contact, there were genuine feelings, true respect.

It made the betrayal all the worse. But it did not hide the truth of their feelings. They cared for each other.

The past can not be forgotten, but it can be forgiven. Not all at once, of course, not in any sensible manner; but through the hard task of living, of learning to trust, and of loving again.

It won’t be a straightforward journey, and there will be time yet, for some further mischief. The strange man may be remorseful, and the fire shows us he has certainly suffered for his transgressions, but that does not mean we won’t have fun at his expense. If our Princess senses just how much we enjoy the little games we play with him, she never shows it, save for the secret smile she reveals to no-one but us.

If his songs are to win the heart of our Princess again, he must endure some trials: stolen buttons, pecks to the ear, an  _ accident  _ when we fly over. We often challenge each other to see who has the better aim.

He never strikes back in anger. Instead, he keeps the temple clean, and often keeps shiny trinkets in his pockets for us. We take that to mean he does not mind losing. It is similar in his interactions with the Princess. He never raises his voice, and always listens when she speaks. When she isn’t looking, we see his eyes follow her, and though we always search for ill intent, we never find any.

He truly is different.

 

* * *

It is a beautiful spring day at the Temple. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and it is, without question,a magical setting. Perhaps that’s why she chose this day for the wedding. She deserves every bit of beauty and happiness to match, and overcome, the pain she has endured. We know in her heart that she hopes this day is the first of many happy ones to come.

It is hard not to believe that, given just how very much her heart has been filled by her closeness to the Knight of Patience and Harmony. He certainly lived up to his title while courting her. And while courting us, in his own way. Somewhere deep inside, he senses that our favor means something as well.

We look on in amusement as his brothers frantically search for the ring. Oddly, he seems not to worry. He calmly walks over to the tree we are perched upon, with a bag of food in hand.

“I know you have it, and I know you still think I need to earn it back.” he states with certainty. “I don’t blame you. I’ve not always been good, and I still might not deserve her. So I’m here to make a trade. I promise to love her, forever. To care for her, to never betray her, and if I have to, to die for her. I will be her family, her friend and her comrade as long as I draw breath. And should I not live up to my end of this bargain, you can both claw my eyes out and feed on my liver. Deal?”

He always has a bit of mischief in his voice, but we can hear that he means what he says. It’s good enough for us. He can have the ring.

If he’s good enough to catch it.

It makes a very satisfying thud as it bounces from his head into his open palm..

There is a smile on his face when he looks back up at us.

“Thank you.”

He gathers his brothers and the ceremony begins. He and the Princess pledge themselves to each other and all their friends and family cheer. There is a new flock born today, and many happy songs will be sung, tonight and for the rest of their lives.

We will sing tonight as well; songs of love and happiness.

Songs of home.

_ FIN _

  
  
  



End file.
